The eighth Mikhail Tal Memorial tournament took place in Moscow last month. The clear favourite among the field of ten players was once again world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway. However Carlsen could only finish runner-up to the oldest player in the event, Boris Gelfand of Israel.
Gelfand at age 45 is still at the top of his game, showing that his very narrow loss to Anand in their world championship match a year ago was far from his swansong. He finished unbeaten in Moscow on 6/9, just ahead of Carlsen on 5½, followed by Fabiano Caruana (Italy), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) and Dmitry Andreikin (Russia) on 5 points.
Today's game is Gelfand's key win to take over the lead from Hikaru Nakamura (USA) in the seventh round at Moscow. Gelfand is playing with the black pieces.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 f5 11.c4 ---
Deviating from the standard lines in the Pelikan Sicilian. White's move aims to weaken further the black queenside pawns and strengthen his outpost on d5. The drawback is the weakening of the a1-h8 diagonal, where Black's unopposed bishop will be developed. Although currently blocked, the doubled f-pawns will allow Black to force open this line – a trademark feature of the Pelikan. 11.--- b4 12.Nc2 fxe4 13.g3 Bg7 14.Bg2 0-0 15.Bxe4 Rb8 16.b3 f5 17.Bg2 e4 18.Rb1 Qa5
Going after the a-pawn, rendered undefendable by the action of Black's dark-squared bishop. White in return will collect the weak black d-pawn. 19.0-0 Qxa2 20.Nde3 Qa5 21.Qxd6 Rf6 22.Qf4 Qe5!
A pawn sacrifice is entailed by this exchange of queens, which is otherwise desirable to protect the insecure the black king from potential attack. 23.Qxe5 Nxe5 24.Nd5 Rf7 25.Ncxb4? ---
White shouldn't take the bait. It's unlikely White thought he could retain the extra pawn, as he has just opened a file onto his own weak b-pawn. But the black pieces gain in power in the coming exchanges. Instead 25 f3 exf3 26 Bxf3 opening the f-file and maintaining the strong outpost on d5 seems to offer White adequate play against Black's bishop pair. 25.--- a5 26.Nc2 Rfb7 27.Nce3 Nc6 28.c5! ---
White attempts a blockade on b6 against the threat of ...a5-a4, when the passed a-pawn assisted by the bishops can run very fast. e.g.: 28 f3 exf3 29 Bxf3 a4 30 Nf4 Bd4! 31 Ng2 Rxb3! 32 Rxb3 Rxb3 33 Bxc6 a3 34 Bd5+ Kg7 35 Kf2 a2 36 c5 Ra3 and whether rook or bishop is given up for the a-pawn, Black retains a big advantage. 28.--- Rxb3 29.Nb6 Rxb1 30.Rxb1 Be6 31.Bf1 Bd4 32.Rb5 Kf7 33.Nec4 Kg7 34.Nd6 Kf6 35.Na4 e3!
With White's pieces tangled-up on the queenside Black switches to an attack on the white king! The two bishops plus knight weave dangerous mating threats while the white minor pieces are caught offside. 36.fxe3 Bxe3+ 37.Kg2 Bd5+ 38.Kh3 Rxb5 39.Bxb5 Ne5 40.Nc3 ---
If 40 Nb6, then not 40... Be6?! 41 Nbc4! successfully exchanging queenside pawns due to the possibility of an opposite coloured bishop draw after say 41...Nxc4? 42 Nxc4 Bxc4 43 Bxc4 Bxc5. But instead 40..Bf3! when 41 Nbc4 Nxc4 42 Nxc4 Be2! forces an exchange of bishops and a winning ending for black using his outside passed pawn and bishop vs knight. In the game White must fend off the mating threats, leaving a different lost ending. 40.--- Bf3 41.Be2 Bxe2 42.Nd5+ Kg5 43.Nxe3 Ng4 44.Kg2 Nxe3+ 45.Kf2 Nc4
White resigns, as after 46 Kxe2 Nxd6 47 cxd6 Kf6 Black catches the d-pawn and his outside passed pawn makes the win easy.
Veteran wins Tal memorial
Problem: Black to play and mate in 4.
The eighth Mikhail Tal Memorial tournament took place in Moscow last month. The clear favourite among the field of ten players was once again world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway. However Carlsen could only finish runner-up to the oldest player in the event, Boris Gelfand of Israel.
Gelfand at age 45 is still at the top of his game, showing that his very narrow loss to Anand in their world championship match a year ago was far from his swansong. He finished unbeaten in Moscow on 6/9, just ahead of Carlsen on 5½, followed by Fabiano Caruana (Italy), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) and Dmitry Andreikin (Russia) on 5 points.
Today's game is Gelfand's key win to take over the lead from Hikaru Nakamura (USA) in the seventh round at Moscow. Gelfand is playing with the black pieces.
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nc3 e5
6.Ndb5 d6
7.Bg5 a6
8.Na3 b5
9.Bxf6 gxf6
10.Nd5 f5
11.c4 ---
Deviating from the standard lines in the Pelikan Sicilian. White's move aims to weaken further the black queenside pawns and strengthen his outpost on d5. The drawback is the weakening of the a1-h8 diagonal, where Black's unopposed bishop will be developed. Although currently blocked, the doubled f-pawns will allow Black to force open this line – a trademark feature of the Pelikan.
11.--- b4
12.Nc2 fxe4
13.g3 Bg7
14.Bg2 0-0
15.Bxe4 Rb8
16.b3 f5
17.Bg2 e4
18.Rb1 Qa5
Going after the a-pawn, rendered undefendable by the action of Black's dark-squared bishop. White in return will collect the weak black d-pawn.
19.0-0 Qxa2
20.Nde3 Qa5
21.Qxd6 Rf6
22.Qf4 Qe5!
A pawn sacrifice is entailed by this exchange of queens, which is otherwise desirable to protect the insecure the black king from potential attack.
23.Qxe5 Nxe5
24.Nd5 Rf7
25.Ncxb4? ---
White shouldn't take the bait. It's unlikely White thought he could retain the extra pawn, as he has just opened a file onto his own weak b-pawn. But the black pieces gain in power in the coming exchanges. Instead 25 f3 exf3 26 Bxf3 opening the f-file and maintaining the strong outpost on d5 seems to offer White adequate play against Black's bishop pair.
25.--- a5
26.Nc2 Rfb7
27.Nce3 Nc6
28.c5! ---
White attempts a blockade on b6 against the threat of ...a5-a4, when the passed a-pawn assisted by the bishops can run very fast. e.g.: 28 f3 exf3 29 Bxf3 a4 30 Nf4 Bd4! 31 Ng2 Rxb3! 32 Rxb3 Rxb3 33 Bxc6 a3 34 Bd5+ Kg7 35 Kf2 a2 36 c5 Ra3 and whether rook or bishop is given up for the a-pawn, Black retains a big advantage.
28.--- Rxb3
29.Nb6 Rxb1
30.Rxb1 Be6
31.Bf1 Bd4
32.Rb5 Kf7
33.Nec4 Kg7
34.Nd6 Kf6
35.Na4 e3!
With White's pieces tangled-up on the queenside Black switches to an attack on the white king! The two bishops plus knight weave dangerous mating threats while the white minor pieces are caught offside.
36.fxe3 Bxe3+
37.Kg2 Bd5+
38.Kh3 Rxb5
39.Bxb5 Ne5
40.Nc3 ---
If 40 Nb6, then not 40... Be6?! 41 Nbc4! successfully exchanging queenside pawns due to the possibility of an opposite coloured bishop draw after say 41...Nxc4? 42 Nxc4 Bxc4 43 Bxc4 Bxc5. But instead 40..Bf3! when 41 Nbc4 Nxc4 42 Nxc4 Be2! forces an exchange of bishops and a winning ending for black using his outside passed pawn and bishop vs knight. In the game White must fend off the mating threats, leaving a different lost ending.
40.--- Bf3
41.Be2 Bxe2
42.Nd5+ Kg5
43.Nxe3 Ng4
44.Kg2 Nxe3+
45.Kf2 Nc4
White resigns, as after 46 Kxe2 Nxd6 47 cxd6 Kf6 Black catches the d-pawn and his outside passed pawn makes the win easy.
0-1
Solution: 1 ... Nc3!! 2 Ng3 (2 bxc3 Qe2+ 3 Kc1 Qc2#; 2 Qxd3 Qd1+ 3 Ke3 Bxc5+ 4 Qd4 Bxd4#; 2 Qxc3 Qe2+! 3 Kc1 bxc3 and mate next move) 2 ... Nb1+ 3 Ke3 Qf4+ 3 Kxd3 Qd2#.